Folding chair with horizontal stacking



June 24, 1969 I H. J. KAUFMAN 3, 8

FOLDING CHAIR WITH HORIZONTAL STACKING Filed Jan. 16, 1967 FIG I. FIG. 2. FIG. 3.

INVENT'OR ATTORNEYS.

United States Patent York Filed Jan. 16, 1967, Ser. No. 609,486. r Int. Cl. A47c 3/04, 7/56 11.5. Cl. 297-239 I a 6 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention is an improvement in nesting chairs. The l.

rearward end of the seat so that the seat can swing up substantially parallel to the back of the chair. The frame assembly is exposed when the seat is raised and it has side frames that diverge toward the front. The space between the side is unobstructed at the front for receiving the rearward Portion of a Similar chair inserted holfizen' V 3 of the brace 28 for receiving the back legs 22 of a simitally into this space between the side frames. a

Brief summary of the invention FIGURE 5 is a view similar to FIGURE 4 but showing the position of the connecting links when the seat is in its lowered position;

FIGURE 6 is a side view showing two chairs, constructed as shown in the other figures, in nesting relation to one another; and

FIGURE 7 is an isometric view showing a modified frame construction for the chair of this invention.

- Detailed description of invention The chair shown in FIGURE 1 includes a frame assembly 10 comprising side frames 12 (FIGURE 6), each of which includes a front leg 14 and side rails 16. The frame assembly 10 also includes a back rail assembly 19 (FIGURE 3) comprising a back rail 20 with back legs 22 and an upstanding back support 24 which is prefer-v ably of one-piece construction with the back legs 22.

The back rail assembly 19 also includes a brace 28 which is rigidly attached to the back rail 20 and which is also attached to the side rails 16 so that this brace 28 serves the purpose of corner blocks for giving rigidity to the frame assembly. There are recesses 30 at both ends lar chair when the chairs are nested as shown in FIG- URES 2A and 6.

In order to permit such horizontal nesting, the space between the side frames 12 is unobstructed from the front.

The invention provides an improved chair having'a fixed frame with sides that diverge toward the front and with no obstruction across the front of the frame so that a similar chair can fit into the unobstructed space between the side frame when the chair seat is swung into a raised position about a pivoted connection with the rearward portion of the frame.

The chairs nest horizontally with all of their legs on the floor and with means providing alignment of the group of nested chairs so that they can be pushed along the floor from one location to another in a desired direction.

The preferred construction has a linkage for pivotally connecting the seat with the rearward portion of the chair in such a manner that the rearward portion of the seat moves forward and upward as the seat swings from a raised to a lowered position. The center of gravity of the seatmoves beyond the vertical as the seat is raised so that the seat remains in raised position by gravity. L Other features relate to constructions for obtaining greater strength in a wooden frame chair that has the front end of its frame unobstructed for nesting; to providing for picking up the chair in linewith its center of gravity when the seat is raised; and to detachable con nections between the seat and the frame for reducin stresses on the frame when the chair isin use. 1

Other objects, features and advantage of the invention will appear or be. pointed out as the description proceeds.

Brief description of the drawings In the drawing, forming a part hereof, in which like reference characters indicate corresponding parts in all the views:

FIGURE 1 is a front View of a nesting chair made in accordance with this invention, the seat being shown in its lowered position;

FIGURE 2 is a view similar to FIGURE 1 but showing the seat in its raised position;

FIGURE 2a is a top plan view of the chair shown in FIGURE 2 and showing in dotted lines the nestingof a similar chair. V FIGURE 3 is a rear view of the chair shown in FIG- URES 1 and 2; I FIGURE 4 is a greatly enlarged, fragmentary sectional view on the line 4--4 of FIGURE 2;

There is no front rail; and the side frames 12 diverge from one another as they extend forward, as is best shown in FIGURE 2A. There are bumpers 34 on the inside surface of each of the side rails 16 for preventing scratching of the side rails when another chair is inserted into the space between them.

It is a feature of the bumpers 34 that they extend inwardly far enough to hold a similar chair in alignment with the chair with which it nests so that even through a large number of similar chairs are nested horizontally, they are held in a substantially straight line. A group of nested chairs can be pushed across a floor or other support without having the line of chairs turn one way or the other because of mis-alignments which would occur in the line of chairs unless provision were made for holding them in line with one another.

The chair has a seat 38 which is wider than the distance across the side frames and which also extends for some distance forward beyond the front of the side frames 16 as shown in dotted lines in FIGURE 4. When the seat 38 is moved into a raised position, as shown in tical so that it remains against the back 42 by gravity. H When the seat 34 is swung into its lowered position, as

shown in broken lines in FIGURE 4, it is detachably connected with the side frames 16 by studs 48 which extend upwardly from the side frames 16 and which are integral with the side frames. These studs 48 extend into openings 50 (FIGURE 2) in the bottom of the seat 38, and the openings 50 are preferably formed in metal plates 52 for insuring added strength. These metal plates 52 are rigidly connected with the bottom of the seat; and when the studs 48 are in the openings 50, the seat 38 holds the side frames 12 of the frame assembly against horizontal movement at the upper ends of the legs 14. Thus the frame assembly of the chair is braced at the forward end In the bottom of the seat 38 there is a groove 56 which extends far enough into the lower part of the seat to provide a grip for the four fingers of a persons hand when the chair is to be picked up. It is one feature of the invention that the seat 38, when in a vertical position, is in substantial alignment with the center of gravity of the entire chair so that when someone lifts the chair by placing his fingers in the groove 56, the chair will hang straight down and can be easily carried from place to place.

The seat 38 is connected with the back rail assembly 19 by a linkage 60 which provides hinge means on which the seat swings between its raised and lowered positions. This linkage 60 is preferably located near the center of the back of the seat 38 and in such a position that it can extend between the sides of the back support 24 of a similar chair as will be apparent from FIGURE 2A where a similar chair 61 is shown in broken lines nested into the open space between the side frames 12 and in front of the back rail assembly of the chair which is shown in full lines.

The actual construction of the linkage 60 is best shown in FIGURES 4 and 5. It includes bottom bracket means 62 which have two forwardly extending plate portions 64 with their upper ends substantially even with the top surfaces of the side rails 16. These bottom bracket means 62 are rigidly connected to the brace 28 of the back rail assembly by fastening means, such as screws 66.

The linkage also includes upper bracket means 72 having side plates 74 extending downwardly from the seat 38. This upper bracket means is preferably one piece, the plates 74 being connected together at their upper ends by a section 76 which rests against the bottom of the seat 38 and which is rigidly attached to the seat 38 by fastening means such as screws 78. The upper bracket means 72 and the lower bracket means 62 are preferably of the same width.

These plates 64 and 74 comprise links of the linkage 60, and the linkage 60 is a four-bar linkage with two additional links 82 and 84 connecting the plate links 64 and 74 together. Actually there are two four-bar linkages since there are two plates 62 horizontally spaced from one another, and two plates 74 horizontally s aced from one another; and there are links 82 and 84 for each of the side plates 62 and side plates 74.

The link 82, shown in FIGURES 4 and 5, is located inside both of the plates 64 and 74 and this link 82 has an offset in order to permit its end portions to bear against the sides of the plates 64 and 74 to which the opposite ends of the link 82 are connected by pivot connections 86 and 88. The link 84 is located outside of the plates 64 and 74 and has the necessary offsets to enable its opposite ends to lie flat against the outside surfaces of the plates 64 and 74 to which the link 84 is connected by pivot connections 92 and 94.

There are similar links 82 and 84 on the other side of the upper bracket means 72, and this construction gives the seat 38 some stability against swaying even though the opposite sides of the linkages are not spaced very far from one another in a lateral direction. Actually the links 82 at opposite sides of the linkage 60 can be considered as a double link since they could be connected together by a shaft extending across the linkage 60 to provide the pivot connection 88 and which be rigidly connected to both of the links 82; and similarly the links 84 at both sides of the linkage 60 can be considered as a double link since they could be rigidly connected at their lower ends to a shaft which serves as the pivot connection 92.

The operation of the linkage 60 is shown clearly by comparing FIGURES 4 and 5. It has distinct advantages over a simple hinge in that it permits the seat 38 to move back into contact with the chair back 42 and to move upwardly at its rearward end and forwardly into position to extend across the top surfaces of the side rails 16.

When the invention is made of wood, the necessary rigidity is obtained by having the side rails 16 of substantial height. This strengthens their connection with the back rail assembly and also provides a stronger connection with the front legs 14. Another advantage of having the rail 16 of substantial height is that it hides the linkage 60 when the chair is viewed from the side. It will be apparent from FIGURE 5 that the side rail 60 is of a height equal to that of the linkage 60 when the seat 38 is in its lowered position.

FIGURE 7 shows a modified construction in which the frame assembly is made of metal tubing instead of wood. The tubing is connected by welding. The corresponding parts in FIGURE 7 are indicated by the same reference characters as in the other figures but with a prime appended. The tubing construction shown in FIGURE 7 preferably has a section 101 which is a continuation of the upper ends of the front legs 14' and which connects with the back support 24 welding 102. In order to provide the strength which comes from the vertical height of the side rails 16 in FIGURES 1-6, the construction shown in FIGURE 7 has a lower tube 104 connected to the front legs 14' by welding 106 and connected to the rearward legs 22 by welding 108.

This frame assembly shown in FIGURE 7 can have a back 42' which is the same as that used on the construction shown in the other figures, and it can have the same kind of seat, though no seat is shown in FIGURE 7. It will be understood that the seat can be connected to a plate extending between opposite sides of the tube 104 in the same manner as the brace 28 extends across the frame assembly in the other views.

The space between the front legs 14' is unobstructed at thefront of the chair; and a chair similar to that shown in FIGURE 7 can be nested horizontally into the open space between the front legs 14' and the side portions of the tubing sections 101 and 104.

Other changes in the design of the chair, for example the use of square tubing, can be made; and various features of the invention can be used in different combinations within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A chair comprising a frame assembly including a back support, side frames that diverge from one another as they extend forward, a back rail assembly including a transversely extending brace rigidly connected to the side frames, the frame assembly being unobstructed at its forward end to provide space for horizontally nesting a similar chair, a seat movable between a lowered position, in which it is supported by the frame assembly, and a raised position, means connecting the rearward portion of the seat to the back rail assembly including a linkage that moves the rear of the seat upward and forward as it swings angularly from its seating position to its nesting or raised position, the linkage being connected to the brace of the back rail assembly near the center thereof between the side frames and extending above and forwardly from said brace, said linkage having clearance between it and each of the side frames for receiving into said clearance transversely spaced rearward portions of a similar chair that is nested horizontally into the space between the side frames.

2. The chair described in claim 1 characterized by the chair being made of wood and the side frames having deep side rails that extend up to the bottom of the seat when the seat is in its lowered position, the depth of said rails being substantially as great as the depth of the linkage whereby said rails hide the linkage from View when the seat is in its lowered position.

3. The chair described in claim 1 characterized by the linkage comprising a four-bar linkage in which one of the links is a bracket connected to the underside of the seat, an opposite link which is a bracket connected to the back rail assembly and extending forward therefrom into the space between the side frames, and other links connecting said brackets.

4. The chair described in claim 1 characterized by bumpers on the surface of each of the side frames near the front and back of the face of the side frame that faces the confronting side frame on the other side of the space into which a similar chair nests, said bumpers being in position to prevent scratching of the side frames of nesting chairs, and said bumpers extending far enough in from the confronting faces of each side frame to contact with the outside of a nesting chair at two locations having forward and aft spacing for holding a similar chair in substantial alignment with the chair with which it nests whereby a long row of nested chairs remains substantially straight when pushed from the back across a floor or other support.

5. The chair described in claim 1 characterized by the seat having a groove in its bottom surface of a size to receive the fingers of a person picking up the chair when the seat is in a raised position, said groove being in substantially vertical alignment with the center of gravity of the chair when the seat is in a substantially vertical position.

6. The chair described in claim 1 characterized by the seat resting on the side rails of the frame assembly when the seat is in its lowered position, said seat extending forward beyond the front of the side frames and sideways beyond the side frames far enough to prevent a person gripping the edges of the seat, when moving it into lowermost position, from pinching his fingers between the seat and the side frames.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 793,180 6/1905 Coopersrnith 5-142 X 929,213 7/ 1909 Gullickson 297-42 1,161,420 11/1915 Smelling 297-183 2,004,934 6/1935 Dellert 297-239 2,613,730 10/1952 Anderson et al. 297-42 3,042,447 7/1962 Wilkinson 297-59 3,20 ,731 8/1965 Krueger 297-239 3,236,558 2/1966 Kaufman 297-59 FRANCIS K. ZUGEL, Primary Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 297-334 

